Sudden closure of Sherwood Park salon leaves clients with gift cards they can't use
CBC
Jenn Bedro didn't bat an eye when V-Va Salon & Spa called her on Jan. 4 to cancel her appointment for the following day, due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
But she did not expect the salon would close its doors for good before she had a chance to finish the $350 series of laser hair treatments she had paid for.
The Sherwood Park salon is now listed as permanently closed on Google. Its doors are locked.
A sign taped to the door says the premises have been secured by a landlord and unauthorized entry is prohibited.
Bedro said she is baffled, since the salon seemed busy during her last visits.
She said she has tried — without success — to reach the salon's owner.
"I just feel ripped off," Bedro said in an interview on Wednesday.
"People with gift cards should be allowed to finish up their sessions and use their gift cards — or they should be refunded," she said.
The salon's owner, Vivian Abboud, initially agreed to an interview, but has not answered CBC News' requests for comment.
Two other customers told CBC News they learned the salon had closed only days after they obtained vouchers in late December.
An Instagram post from the business's account showed a Christmas promotion: receive an extra $25 on top of each $100 gift card purchased.
Nicki Drake, a regular client of the salon who has vouchers worth about $1,800, learned the business had closed after seeing comments from confused customers on Facebook.
Though Bedro and Drake said they have not been able to reach the salon's owner, they did reach a manager, who told them the salon had closed without notice.
"I just want my money back because it's a lot of money and they're not doing anything about it," Drake said.
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